Former Hibs striker Jason Cummings understood to be on Rangers' radar

The 22-year-old Scotland striker made his switch to the City Ground last summer but found himself sidelined by Mark Warburton during the final days of his Forest reign.

Rangers are now rumoured to be considering offering him an escape route back north of the border.

A fee of around £1 million would be required to prise him away but Ibrox boss Graham Murty now has room to manoeuvre after striking a deal with Mexican outfit Cruz Azul - now managed by his Light Blues predecessor Pedro Caixinha - that will see them cover all of Carlos Pena's £20,000-a-week wages as part of a six-month loan deal, with a guaranteed £2 million sum to follow if the move is made permanent.

However, we understand Cummings is not ready to walk away from Forest just six months after signing on from Hibernian.

He is willing to bide his time while Karanka, who was handed a two-and-a-half-year deal by Forest chiefs on Monday, assesses his new squad in the hope he can make a bigger impact under the former Middlesbrough boss than he managed with ex-Gers manager Warburton.